


shanah tovah u'metukah

by xslytherclawx



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Bisexual Newt Scamander, Bisexual Tina Goldstein, Canon Jewish Character, F/M, Jewish Holidays, Minor Queenie Goldstein/Jacob Kowalski
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2020-11-02 06:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20645510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xslytherclawx/pseuds/xslytherclawx
Summary: it all starts when Queenie finds a cat on the Sukkah.(or: newtina through a year of jewish holidays)





	1. Sukkot

**Author's Note:**

> i had the idea for this fic a while ago, and I waffled for a while on a posting schedule. Since this is a year in Jewish holidays (with some secular american ones thrown in), I've opted to post updates on the holidays featured. The end note for each chapter will let you know when the next update is!
> 
> this was largely written before Crimes of Grindelwald
> 
> title is hebrew - literally "a sweet and good year" but it's also a customary greeting for rosh hashanah (...which we won't see in this fic until close to the end)

“Teenie!” Queenie called, rushing back into the apartment. “There’s a cat on the sukkah!”

Tina couldn’t help but notice that her sister’s arms were still laden with the food they’d prepared for dinner. She sighed. “I’ll get it down.”

Queenie deposited the food on the kitchen table and followed Tina back up to the roof, where, sure enough, there was a cat on top of the sukkah, balancing on the walls. She didn’t like that; one wrong move and it just might take the entire thing down.

“Poor dear,” Queenie said as they approached. Up close, the cat looked less like a cat and more like a goblin; it had no fur whatsoever, and was a dark grey. It looked balefully at them with too-large eyes.

‘Poor dear’ was, really, not the term Tina would use.

“He’s probably hungry,” Queenie said. “Let me go get some chicken and see if that won’t get him to come down.”

She was gone before Tina could protest. Tina stepped closer to the sukkah, keeping an eye on the cat to see if it moved. It looked back at her, and there was something deeply unsettling about its expression.

The door swung open, and, expecting Queenie, Tina said, “That was quick, Queen.”

“I, er, I think you might have me mistaken for someone else.”

The voice was decidedly  _ not _ Queenie. It was much too deep, for one, and twinged in a foreign accent – Tina thought perhaps English, but she’d never had a good ear for such things.

She looked over her shoulder. A man stood awkwardly by the door. He didn’t appear to be much older than her, if he were older than her at all. He was tall and skinny, with a shock of messy light brown hair that looked coppery in the early evening light. He wore a patterned lilac collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and chinos tucked into a pair of brown fashion combat boots.

“You haven’t seen a hairless cat around here, have you? I’m afraid he escaped when my roommate came home from work.”

Tina pointed to the sukkah, and to the cat on top of it. “That him?”

The man looked to the top of the sukkah. “Yes, that’s the rascal. Is that your – er…?”

“It’s called a sukkah. And yes, it’s ours.”

Queenie came through the door, then, chicken in hand. “I’ve never met a cat that doesn’t come running for chicken,” she said. She looked to the man. “Teen, who’s your friend?”

“Oh,” the man said. “I’m sorry; terribly rude of me. I’m Newt. Newt Scamander. I, er, live in 4C.”

Queenie offered her free hand for Newt to shake. “Nice to meet you, Newt. I’m Queenie Goldstein, and you’ve met my sister Tina, of course. We’re in 4F.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Newt said.

“Is that your cat?”

Newt nodded. “His name’s Niffler. He likes to sneak out, and I’m sorry he’s climbed on top of your, er, sukkah.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem, sweetie,” Queenie said. “We’ll get him sorted out.”

Queenie walked over to the sukkah with the intent of luring the cat away, but she made sure to whisper to Tina, “He’s  _ cute, _ Teen. Definitely your type.”

“Just get the cat off of the sukkah,” Tina said, rather than acknowledge that her sister was right. She’d sworn off men, for the new year, and goyische men especially. They lived in New York, after all; it wasn’t as if there was any shortage of Jewish girls. She didn’t need to get involved with handsome foreign men who didn’t even know what a sukkah was.

Five minutes later, the cat was off the sukkah and in Newt’s arms. He thanked Queenie and Tina excessively, and Tina couldn’t help but think that their meal was going cold.

“You can feel free to join us for dinner, Newt,” Queenie said, which Tina was sure was another of her half-baked ideas to set her up. “Your roommate, too, if he’s up for it. Or she. We’ve got plenty to share.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…” Newt began.

“I  _ insist _ , sweetie,” Queenie said. “It’s actually a mitzvah to have guests eat in your sukkah, so you’d be doing me and Teen a favor.”

Newt glanced over to Tina, and Queenie swatted at her. “Teenie would love it if you joined us. That’s just her face.”

Tina shot her sister a dirty look, but then looked to Newt. Well, it would hardly be a terrible idea to be friendly with their neighbors. “She’s right,” Tina said. “It is a mitzvah, and we do have plenty of food.”

“W-well,” Newt said. “If you insist. Let me just – make sure he’s secure inside.”

* * *

“Why the  _ hell _ did you do that, Queen?” Tina asked as they fetched the food.

Queenie shrugged. “He’s cute, and perfectly your type – and swearing off of men for the new year is hardly the kind of resolution you should be making.”

Queenie was right – she usually was – but that didn’t mean that Tina had to like it. “One meal. In the sukkah. Because it’s a holiday.”

“Sure,” Queenie agreed, “and if things get more serious from there…”

Tina rolled her eyes and started taking the food up.

They had set up a folding table in the sukkah, and Queenie brought up two more chairs from the kitchen. There was barely enough room for the food on the table; Tina wasn’t sure how two more people were supposed to fit and eat, but she knew better than to try to argue with Queenie about this.

She went down for the wine and extra glasses, and nearly ran smack into Newt in the hallway.

“Oh, terribly sorry,” he said. “Is there anything I can help with?”

Tina’s first reaction was to be annoyed, but she recognized, consciously, that that was ridiculous. He was being  _ nice _ , not insinuating anything about her ability to carry a bottle of wine up to the roof. “I just need to get the wine – if you wouldn’t mind holding the doors?”

“Of course,” Newt said.

Tina pretended that she didn’t notice how beautiful his eyes were in that moment. It was just dinner. “Thank you.”

She led the way back to her apartment, got the bottle of wine (thankfully, this time,  _ not _ Manischewitz, but rather some Israeli wine Queenie had picked up), and four glasses. Realising she should lock up, she turned to Newt. “Do you mind holding these while I lock the door?”

“Oh, sure, of course,” Newt said, so she handed the wine and glasses over to him and locked the door. She made sure to take them back, and Newt, true to his word, got the door to the stairwell and the door to the roof for her.

Queenie was sitting in the sukkah, laughing with a round, dark-haired man. Tina set the wine and glasses on the table and took her seat.

“Oh, Teenie, I’m so glad you’re here! This is Jacob, he’s Newt’s roommate!” She glanced over at Newt, and motioned for him to sit down. “Sit, sit!”

Jacob offered his hand for Tina to shake, so she did. “Nice to meet you, Jacob,” Tina said.

“Likewise,” Jacob said. “I didn’t even know anyone here had a sukkah.”

“Oh,” Queenie said, “we do it every year, sweetie! We have special permission, and everything!” She turned to Tina. “He’s Jewish, too!”

Tina knew, then, that any hopes she may have had of this  _ just _ being dinner were crushed. If Newt’s roommate was really Jewish, Queenie would doubtlessly do her best to invite him to every Shabbat dinner she could.

“Where are you from?” Tina asked. If there was one thing she knew that could carry on a conversation, it was playing Jewish geography.

“Brooklyn,” Jacob said. “Parents still live in Crown Heights.”

“Do they?” Tina asked. She, Queenie, and Jacob played at Jewish geography for about fifteen minutes when Tina realised that Newt had barely spoken, even if Jacob’s cousin lived in the same building as Queenie’s best friend’s aunt Daisy. “And what about you, Newt?” Tina asked. “Where are you from?”

“England. Not too far from London. My mother, er, breeds horses, and my brother is in politics. Lib Dems.”

“Oh, Teenie  _ loves _ politics!” Queenie said. “She’s a social worker.”

“And what do you do?” Jacob asked.

“I work a desk job,” Queenie said, “it’s nothing exciting, but it’s a job. What about you, sweetie?”

“I run a bakery,” Jacob said.

“Oh, I just  _ love _ bakeries,” Queenie said.

Tina shot Newt an apologetic look. She’d seen this enough times to know what to expect, and if she were lucky, she and Newt could find some common ground to avoid feeling too awkward.

“Do you, uh, know anything about Sukkot?” she asked him.

“I, er, no, I’m afraid not. My religious education was always rather focused on the practises of the Church of England. We barely learned about other types of Christianity, let alone other religions entirely.”

So, because Queenie was now batting her eyelashes at Jacob, Tina told him about Sukkot, and the High Holy Days. She had to hand it to him, he was an active listener.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will be out on Shimini Atzeret!


	2. Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina gets locked out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically in the Diaspora (unless you're Reform, which I am), Shiemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are two separate days, but I thought two chapters in two days would be a bit crowded (and, again: I'm Reform), so we've just got one chapter today!

The chain lock was on when Tina got home from shul after work, and she cursed under her breath. Queenie knew how she felt about guests – if it required a locked door, it should all happen in the bedroom – but there was little she could do for it now.

She looked at her phone and wondered if she could go down to her usual coffee shop to kill a few hours when she spotted Newt coming home. Today, he was wearing a powder blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows again, and violet trousers tucked into the same boots. He had a messenger bag on one shoulder. The effect shouldn’t have been as attractive as it was, she knew, but she didn’t want to think about that. 

“Are you locked out?” he asked.

“Queenie locked the chain,” Tina said.

“Well,” Newt said, “since I’m fairly certain she’s in there with Jacob… you can always come over to mine? Unless you had other plans, that is, of course.”

If she’d had other plans, she wouldn’t have tried to get into her apartment. “No other plans,” she said.

“I promise I’m not a serial killer.”

“Even if you were, it’d probably teach Queenie to stop locking the chain,” Tina muttered.

She followed Newt to his apartment. “Just – keep an eye on the animals. As you know, some of them like to escape.”

She’d known about the hairless cat, and Newt did say  _ animals _ , plural, but that didn’t prepare Tina for the veritable menagerie. The apartment was the same size as the one she and Queenie shared, but, within the first five seconds, she spotted two different cats, an aquarium, and a parrot in a cage.

“I’ve just got to feed them, if you don’t mind; feel free to take a seat.”

So she did. The apartment was clean, and orderly, but walking to the living room, she saw another cat – this time, the one from the sukkah. How many animals did he have? Were these all his? To avoid seeming too nosy, she unlocked her phone (no messages), and then decided to ask, “Do you need any help with that?”

“If you’d like,” he said, so she tucked her phone into her pocket and went to the kitchen. “You know Niffler, of course, and that’s Mauler, and that’s Hoppy. Milly’s around here, somewhere, but she doesn’t like strangers, so she may well be hiding.”

“Is Mauler, uh… dangerous?” she asked.

Newt laughed. “Goodness, no. He’s the friendliest of the bunch. My brother found it amusing. I, however, am no longer permitted to volunteer at the New York ASPCA.”

“Why?” Tina asked in spite of herself.

“I couldn’t stop adopting them. It’s dreadful, really, how many of them there are, and how few are willing to adopt them and take proper care of them. I volunteered, then, for a while with some no-kill shelters, but… that’s where Niffler came from, and I realised I couldn’t keep doing that. So I donate instead. It’s not the same, but… I really don’t think I could care for many more animals.”

“How many do you have?” Tina asked.

“The four cats, a parrot, two snakes, three guinea pigs – they’re in my bedroom – and a tortoise.” He got several cans of what Tina assumed to be cat food out of a cabinet and started mixing them together. “They’re spoiled,” he said, “and they know I can’t stand the smell of it. Would you mind, er, just distributing this evenly between these bowls? You can set them on the placemat when you’re done. I’ll go and feed the snakes.”

“Sure,” Tina said. She took the spoon from him and divvied the cat food mixture up between the four different bowls that Newt had laid out on the counter. She set them on the placemat, and the cats hurried over to eat. She noticed, then, that – save Niffler – all of the cats seemed to be disabled in some way, missing limbs or eyes, or walking on wobbly feet. She glanced over at Newt, who was feeding the snakes frozen mice, and felt a rush of warmth.

It was stupid, she knew, but she was sure there were worse goyische men to make her feel this way.

* * *

“I almost got fired last year,” Tina said, taking a swig of her beer from the bottle. “It was – the most ridiculous thing.”

“What happened?” Newt asked. He’d taken off his shoes (revealing socks with a black cat pattern, which Tina tried not to find adorable and endearing), and was sitting on the other side of the sofa, knees pulled up to his chest.

“There was this family – this awful woman. We knew that her children were missing a lot of school, and they… you know, there are signs, and sometimes a teacher will notice and call. I was supposed to talk to the children, try to see… and it was so  _ obvious _ . And I think – you more than most, you understand how it feels to be in that situation.”

Newt nodded, but he didn’t say anything.

“They had one boy – and as I was leaving, I saw her grab him and start – it was amazing, really, what she was doing in public, and it just made me wonder what she was doing in private. I don’t know. I didn’t think. I saw her about to hit him, and I grabbed her arm to stop her. I should’ve never put a hand on her, and she claimed that I’d tried to break her wrist.

“We got them out, and if the son and half a dozen witnesses hadn’t vouched for me… I’d be lucky to have a job, now. Hell, I’m  _ still _ lucky to have a job now.”

“That’s terrible,” Newt said. “I couldn’t – I couldn’t do what you do, you know. It’s invaluable work, but I don’t think I’d last a day.”

Tina took another swig of her beer. “It can be incredibly rewarding, but sometimes I wonder if it’s just made me angrier at the world.”

“Understandably,” he said. “I wanted – I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was younger, but I couldn’t put them down. Perhaps… if they were suffering immensely, and it would be the only way to ease their pain, but too often that isn’t the case, and you’re not permitted to say no. Not really.”

“What  _ do _ you do?” she asked.

“I’m a zoologist. So – related, definitely, but it’s more… there’s a bit more distance.”

“What brings you to New York?” she asked.

“I work at Columbia. Research. I’ve just gotten my Ph.D, honestly, and I’m still trying to sort out what, exactly, I want to do within the field. I was offered a year-long postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia, so I took it. I’d have been mad not to.”

Well, Tina did think that Newt had the  _ look _ of an absent-minded academic down. “That’s impressive,” she said.

“Thanks,” he said. “You’re impressive, too. I–I mean, of course, your work. It’s, er, it’s impressive.”

“Thank you,” she said. She finished the bottle of beer and absently started peeling at the label.

“So, er… Jacob and Queenie?”

“Oh, I knew there’d be  _ something _ as soon as she said he was Jewish,” Tina said. “Queenie has always been predictable in that.”

“But it’s… it’s New York, isn’t it? It can’t be hard to find Jewish men here.”

“It’s not,” Tina said, as if she ever dated other Jews herself. “But Queenie’s sort of… old-fashioned, in that way. Acts like it’s fate. I don’t think she’s ever so much as looked at a dating app in her life. And who could blame her? She’s always been gorgeous. Almost always been blonde. She looks like a shiksa but she’s a nice Jewish girl who had her bat mitzvah at a nice by-the-line conservative shul.”

“Is that – is that admirable, then?” Newt asked.

“It’s what a lot of Jewish men want, at least if I had to guess.”

“Jacob certainly seems smitten.”

Tina shrugged. “I’ve sworn off men,” she said. “For Rosh Hashanah.”

“I’ve tried that,” Newt said. “Not for Rosh Hashanah, of course, but in general. It never seems to work.”

She glanced over at him; he appeared to be very focused on his fingernails, but she could see the subtle signs of stress in the hunch of his shoulders. “Well,” she said, “to be fair, women have always been more likely to respect how important my job is.”

Newt did seem to relax slightly at that. “I’ve terrible luck with women, really,” he admitted. “But I don’t think that’s – uncommon. You know, I don’t like hiding a part of myself, but… sometimes the reactions I’ve gotten have been… less than ideal.”

“I think I can relate,” Tina said. “One guy I dated in undergrad thought I was cheating on him with Queenie. My  _ sister _ .”

Newt snorted. “That’s one I haven’t heard before – perhaps because Theo is so… Anyway, I mostly just got accused of being gay. And I’m not – I definitely – I can say, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that I’m bisexual, and that I’ve really got no real preference where gender is concerned.”

“Oh, I believe you,” Tina said. “Can’t say I was ever accused of being  _ gay _ , though. Well, not by someone I was dating. A lot of acquaintances, but that’s… different.”

“Absolutely,” Newt agreed. “Do you want another beer? I haven’t just got Stella. There’s some Guinness and some craft beer, too.”

“Sure,” Tina said.

Newt took the empty bottle from her, and got up to go to the kitchen. Tina knew this was bad. He was too kind, too endearing. And he was bi, too. She knew she should get up and leave and avoid him if at all possible. But she didn’t. She stayed put on his sofa and took the bottle of Guinness he offered. 

“I’ve Netflix, if you’d like to… watch a film, or something?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will be on Thanksgiving!


	3. Thanksgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina can't remember the last time she and Queenie even _celebrated_ Thanksgiving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep saying I'll code the text messages when I post fics, but this time I mean it!

Tina wondered how Newt had the free time to text her as often as he did. They were all perfectly innocent, of course; mostly memes and pictures of his pets, but it seemed as if he texted her at least once an hour.

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, he sent her a photo of a carefully designed invitation. It only took a cursory glance to see who had sent it: Queenie.

> **Newt**: Something tells me she forged your signature

She was going to kill her sister.

> **Tina**: She did, but you’re more than welcome to join us.
> 
> **Tina**: Truthfully we don’t normally DO thanksgiving
> 
> **Tina**: I didn’t know we were doing it this year.
> 
> **Newt**: If you’re sure it’s not a bother
> 
> **Tina**: It’s not.
> 
> **Newt**: Is this a good time to say that I don’t eat meat? I can provide my own alternative, of course; I don’t want to be any trouble.
> 
> **Tina**: You won’t be. I don’t see the harm in bringing your own dish - though Queenie would kill me if she knew we discussed this beforehand. She has to be the perfect hostess.
> 
> **Newt**: Understood.

* * *

“Oh, Newt, sweetie, you didn’t have to bring anything!”

“I rather thought it’d be rude of me to show up without bringing a dish,” Newt said, which Tina actually thought was a good excuse.

“Tina’s already told me you’re a vegetarian,” Queenie said. “There’s no meat in anything except the turkey.” She leaned in to stage whisper, “Teenie doesn’t even think we should celebrate Thanksgiving.”

“It’s a celebration of genocide,” Tina said firmly. “Which we haven’t celebrated since we were children.”

“That’s not true,” Queenie said. “We celebrated Thanksgivukkah.”

“Thanks...givukkah?” Newt repeated. He looked between the sisters with slightly furrowed brows.

“Chankuah and Thanksgiving overlapped a few years ago,” Tina said. “But we didn’t celebrate  _ Thanksgiving.” _

“I bought the turkey menorah,” Queenie said. “And we  _ did _ have turkey for dinner. That counts.”

Tina sighed and willed herself to remain calm. That ridiculous menorah – Queenie had insisted on using it every night of Chanukah that year. As she turned back to the gravy cooking on the stove, Queenie seemed to have a brilliant idea.

“Oh, we can use that as a centerpiece! Tina, watch the food, please!” 

Queenie pressed a wooden spoon into her hands as she went to the hall closet to rifle through the Chanukah decorations. Tina raised her eyebrows at Newt.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“What’ve you got to apologise for?” Newt asked. “Honestly, I think I’m quite excited to see this  _ turkey menorah.” _

Tina laughed in spite of herself. “It’s the most ridiculous thing I think Queenie’s ever bought.”

“Tina, you can flirt all you want, but please stir the gravy so it doesn’t scorch,” Queenie called from the hall.

Tina shot Newt a look that she hoped accurately got across her annoyance at her sister’s antics, but she went to stir the gravy regardless. Spiting her would result in nothing but an angry sister and scorched gravy, neither of which she was particularly keen on.

Queenie returned minutes later, holding the ceramic menurkey. Tina shook her head as Queenie set it in the center of the table.

“Are we putting candles in it, too?”

Queenie worried a bit at her lower lip. “Should we? Maybe just for the shammus?”

“We’re already using a menorah as a centerpiece for a holiday we’ve celebrated once since we were children,” Tina said. “Why not put candles in it?”

“I can probably find a festive fall-type coloured one,” Queenie said, going back to the closet.

Tina had to admit that this was going better, so far, than she’d anticipated. Even if Queenie had gotten out the menurkey, which Newt was examining with interest. “How often do Chanukah and Thanksgiving overlap?” he asked.

“Once every hundred and fifty years or so,” Tina said, “so Queenie’s great-grandchildren will get a kick out of it. Assuming we still celebrate Thanksgiving, because it really is a terrible holiday.”

“I’ve read about it,” Newt said. “Not that we haven’t got our own terrible holidays in Britain, but…”

“At least Queenie’s a great cook,” Tina said. 

“Why Queenie’s great-grandchildren?” Newt asked, and it was enough to throw Tina slightly for a loop.

“What?”

“You said  _ Queenie’s _ great-grandchildren would enjoy this… turkey menorah. Why hers? Why not yours? Do you not – picture yourself having children?”

“It’s not that,” Tina said, “although with my job – I wouldn’t have children unless I was certain they’d be cared for properly. But I’m not keeping that horrendous excuse for a menorah in my possession, even to pass on as an heirloom. Queenie wanted it, she’s the one who bought it, so she can keep it and pass it on to her kids.”

“What if I never have kids, Teen?” Queenie asked, taking the spoon back and shooing her away from the stove.

“Credence might appreciate it,” Tina said. “Just don’t give it to me.”

“I’ll give it to your oldest as a b’nei mitzvah present,” Queenie teased. She winked at Newt, and Tina knew it was just to rile her up, so she tried not to let it affect her. Although Newt blushing was certainly –  _ interesting. _ “Dinner’ll be ready in about five minutes,” Queenie said.

Tina set the table, and insisted that Newt didn’t need to do anything when he asked. Even though this was all Queenie’s doing, Newt was still a guest, and she wasn’t about to ask him to do work.

“Have you ever celebrated Thanksgiving before, Newt?” Queenie asked as she and Tina laid out the food.

Newt shook his head. “I can’t say that I have, actually.”

“Good,” Queenie said. “I tried to do the traditional American thing, but I’m not really sure I managed. At least if anything’s weird, you won’t notice.”

It was an intimate affair, with just the three of them. Jacob was, apparently, at his parents’ house. Tina knew better than to ask why they were celebrating Thanksgiving separately.

“Newt,” she said, instead, “have you celebrated any American holidays?”

Newt seemed to think on it for a moment, and then shook his head. “None of the – strictly American ones, no.”

“Oh, you’ll have to join us, sweetie,” Queenie said. “We obviously don’t do Christmas or Easter, but I don’t think that’s too different in England. But we put on a hell of a party for the Fourth of July.”

“Queenie does,” Tina clarified. “She’s the party planner.”

“I just surprise Tina by inviting half her office,” Queenie agreed. “And sometimes boys or girls that she’s got her eye on.”

Newt turned scarlet and Tina kicked her sister under the table. Hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be up sometime during Chanukah!


	4. Chanukah.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt comes over for Chanukah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chag chanukah sameach!  
chanukah doesn't technically start for another few hours where I am, but I thought I'd update now, so I don't forget to later (and if you're interested in more chanukah fics, I have a [series of chanukah fics](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562047) for this year - you can subscribe to that so you don't miss any)

“You need to ask him out,” Queenie said as they decorated their apartment for Chanukah. It was Queenie who insisted on it, really. They had some banners, a blue tablecloth with dreidels on it, and a few throw pillows and blankets that Queenie had collected throughout the years. Tina, for her part, viewed it as an opportunity to do some much needed cleaning.

“Queen, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Newt,” Queenie said. “He’s crazy about you. And I know he seems a little  _ feminine _ , maybe, but you know as well as I do that that doesn’t mean he’s not into girls. And he’s into you.”

“I told you,” Tina said, “I’ve sworn off men.”

Queenie rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Tina. You can be so stubborn. I’ll give you until Valentine’s Day before I ask him out for you. And you know I will.”

“I’m an adult, Queenie, and I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.”

“Glad to hear it,” Queenie said. “So when are you asking him out?”

* * *

Newt and Jacob both came over for the first night of Chanukah, and Tina couldn’t even really find it in herself to be annoyed at Queenie and her eternal meddling. Newt looked far too handsome in his navy shirt and chinos. When had chinos become  _ attractive clothing? _ (When Newt Scamander decided to put them on, apparently). She knew, really, that all signs pointed to him genuinely liking her – and in the same way she liked him – but that didn’t mean she was overly anxious to actually make a move.

She did, however, notice the gift bag and envelope he carried.

So, too, did Queenie.

“Whatcha got there, Newt?” she asked.

“Oh, er, gifts – for you and for Tina.”

Queenie shot Tina a triumphant look. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that, sweetie,” she said to Newt. “Your company is a gift enough! Tina and I really like you, you know, Newt.”

Newt blushed, then, and as much as Tina had to admit it suited him, she knew it was time to step in. “Thank you,” she said to Newt. “The sun’s set – why don’t we light the candles?”

It was easy enough to get Queenie to agree with that, and Tina tried to tell herself she didn’t feel jealous at all watching Jacob wrap his arm around Queenie’s waist as they recited the blessings.

_ “Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah. _

_ “Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam she-asah nisim l’avoteinu v’imoteinu ba’yamim ha’hem ba-z’man hazeh.” _

Queenie lit the shammus, and then the first candle, and then it was time for the shehecheyanu. 

_ “Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu v’ki’y’manu v’higianu la’z’man hazeh.” _

It was time for food, then, and Jacob surprised them with a box of sufganiyot. While Queenie cooed over them, Newt tapped Tina on the shoulder.

“Is this, er, a good time to… give you your gift? I’m sorry; I’m not very familiar with Chanukah.”

She glanced over at Queenie, who was picking out a sufganiyah to eat. “Might as well. I don’t think there’s any set time.”

Newt handed the envelope over to her. She opened it to find a colorful Chanukah card with a cat on it. Inside the card were two tickets – a closer look revealed that they were to a play called The Sorceress. In Yiddish.

“I, er, maybe that’s insensitive – I apologise. A coworker mentioned it, and I thought…”

“It’s not insensitive at all,” Tina said. “It’s incredibly thoughtful.”

“You don’t have to go with me, of course – you can go with Queenie, if you’d prefer, or someone else entirely…”

“Newt,” Tina said. “I’d love to go with you.”

The rest of the night was wonderful, and they ate their fill of sufganiyot and latkes. Tina would never admit it to Queenie, but it was absolutely wonderful to celebrate with someone beyond just the two of them.

* * *

The question was, now, what in the world was she supposed to get him something for Christmas? She knew if she asked, he’d say that she didn’t need to buy him anything, but that wasn’t the answer.

“I know what you can get him,” Queenie said one night after dinner.

“I’m not having sex with him for Christmas,” Tina said. “That seems… wrong, somehow.”

Queenie huffed. “Really, Teenie, you can be such a prude.”

“How does that make me a prude?” Tina asked. “I don’t even know if he’s interested in me that way.”

“Teenie,” Queenie said, “the man blew, like, three hundred bucks on those tickets for you. I looked it up. He’s interested.”

“I’m still not having sex with him in lieu of a gift.” It seemed… tacky. And presumptuous. But the fact of the matter was… she didn’t have any better ideas. She knew he was going back to England to visit his family over Christmas, so she was even shorter on time than she might have otherwise been.

“ _ Fine,” _ Queenie said. “I’ll ask Jacob what he thinks.”

* * *

Tina: I know you’re leaving for London in a couple of days but I wanted to know if you had time to grab a coffee?

Newt: For you? Always

* * *

They met at Tina’s favorite coffee shop during her lunch break. Newt was already sitting at one of the tables when she came in, so she went straight to him. “Hey,” she said.

It was, to be honest, impossible to deny that he lit up when he saw her. “Tina! Hello! I have to say, I was afraid we wouldn’t get to see each other until after the holidays.”

“I was, too,” Tina admitted. “But I couldn’t let you go back to England without your gift.”

“My – gift?” Newt asked.

“Of course,” Tina said. She was tempted to say something about how she got all of her friends gifts for the holidays, but she didn't. It was Newt. Much as she might deny it to Queenie, there was something special between them. She put the gift bag on the table between them and slid it toward Newt. 

He'd been difficult to shop for, but Tina felt confident in her choices. She tried not to look too obviously invested in his reaction, but she couldn’t fight back a smile when he pulled his gifts out of the bag.

It was nothing too extravagant; just a few sets of patterned socks and a patterned bowtie. Of course, because it was Newt, she’d found animal patterns that were less typical. Instead of the usual cats or dogs or pandas, she’d managed to find opossums, lizards, and raccoons. She thought that they rather suited Newt better – and the tie, of course.

“Are these salamanders?” he asked with more than a hint of awe in his voice.

Tina nodded, allowing herself a small smile. “I saw it and immediately thought of you.”

“It’s – absolutely lovely, Tina,” he said. “I love it.”

She didn’t say how she thought the purple background on the bowtie would bring out his eyes, because that wasn’t how she did things, but if she thought it, surely no one could blame her.

“You know,” he said. “Salamanders actually aren’t lizards. They’re amphibians. People just think they’re lizards because they bear a passing resemblance.”

“I didn’t know that, actually,” Tina said. “I know that opossums don’t deserve their terrible reputation.”

“Oh, opossums are  _ lovely,” _ Newt said. “They’re such vastly misunderstood creatures, you know, and I actually – I visited a sanctuary just over the summer, and I was able to care for one who had had her tail damaged.”

Tina leaned forward in her seat. “Do you have any pictures?”

Newt absolutely lit up. “Oh, yes! Of course! Let me just – find them.”

He was too adorable when he talked about animals. Tina thought, without really thinking about it, that she could listen to him talk about animals for… well, forever, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of creative license with the play; its run is over by the end of december, but that didn't quite work for the fic.


	5. Tu Bish'vat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Tina see a play. Tina gets locked out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally written for last year, so the dates were a little weird (as tu bish'vat fell earlier in the secular calendar last year), so I hope i've fixed it all up properly.  
The play, though, ended its run December 29th, but creative license.

Newt came back on New Year’s Eve, and Tina went all the way down to Queens to pick him up at JFK. She could admit, to herself, at least, that she was invested.

She nearly hugged him when she saw him, but she stopped herself. Really, what had gotten into her? She and Newt were just friends. Even if she thought he might feel the same way… it wouldn’t be appropriate.

“Tina!” he exclaimed. “You didn’t have to come all this way to see me.”

And, well, JFK was a while away from their apartment building in Chelsea. “I know,” Tina said, “but I thought you might want company on the ride back.”

Newt grinned. “I’d love that.”

* * *

They saw the play the less than a week later, on Sunday afternoon. It was at the National Museum of Jewish Heritage, and they went through the museum together in the morning. Tina noticed that Newt absorbed every word, and didn’t skip a single exhibit.

They had the best seats in the tiny theatre, and as they sat down, Tina wondered if this was supposed to be a date. She certainly wouldn’t object. 

* * *

The chain was locked when Tina got home from her Tu Bish'vat seder. She knocked on Newt's door. “Locked out again?”

“Yes. Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Newt said, so she went into his apartment with him instead. Really, she wouldn’t have put it past Queenie to lock the chain specifically so Tina  _ would _ go to Newt's apartment.

Her sister had her best interests at heart, but she could be very conniving.

Tina made sure to get into the apartment quickly, and scooped Niffler up off of the floor (dangerously close to the door) while Newt came in.

“You’re just encouraging him, you know,” Newt said, although he was smiling and it didn’t truly feel like a rebuff.

“Maybe all he wants is attention.”

Newt stroked the hairless cat. “No. He wants to run free and live up to his natural predatory instincts. He doesn’t seem to be aware that he has absolutely no protection from the elements with no fur.”

“Well,” Tina said. “That’s true.”

She helped him prepare dinner for the animals – wondered just when they’d become so in sync with this – and when Newt offered her a beer afterward, she accepted. They moved to the couch and drank some pretentious hipster craft beer out of the can.

“We can order in, if you’d like,” Newt suggested, looking at his watch.

“I’d like that,” she said.

So they ordered pizza – real, authentic New York pizza, at Tina’s insistence – one cheese, and one margarita. “Are you sure you don’t want meat on yours?” Newt asked. “I don’t mind.”

“Meat on pizza isn’t kosher,” Tina said, and she did  _ generally _ try to at least avoid obviously treyf things, even if she didn’t always check for a hechsher. “At least not if you want cheese.”

But the pizza they’d ordered was delicious. Tina had made sure they ordered from a good pizza place, and Newt’s reaction alone made it worth it. 

“You know, whenever I’ve been getting pizza, I’ve mostly ordered Pizza Hut.”

Tina laughed. “ _ Pizza Hut _ ? I’m not even sure that’s considered good pizza  _ outside _ of New York.”

“Hey,” Newt said, “it’s good pizza in England.”

“They must not  _ have _ good pizza in England,” Tina said, and Newt laughed.

“Easy,” he said, “we’re not meant to just survive off of fish and chips and beans and toast. Not that I’ve had fish and chips in years.”

“How long have you been a vegetarian?” Tina asked.

Newt took a sip of his beer. “Don’t laugh,” he said.

“I would never,” Tina swore.

“I was eleven,” Newt said. “And in a bit of a – well, Morrissey phase, regrettable though that may be now. And I’m not sure if you know, but Morrissey – he’s a vegetarian, and rather  _ loud _ about it.”

“And you’ve kept it up since then?”

Newt shrugged. “It’s really not difficult, once you start. I’ve considered going vegan – probably really should – but I’m a bit concerned my diet would  _ completely _ go to shit, and I’d just end up eating nothing but crisps and pasta.”

“I think it’s admirable,” Tina said. She sipped at her beer and took another bite of pizza.

“Thank you,” Newt said. And that, really, was the thing about Newt: he always seemed so  _ genuine _ . “Tina, I know we’re – we’re friends. We are… friends, aren’t we?”

Tina looked to Newt, who didn’t meet her eyes. But that was nothing unusual with him, not really. Direct eye contact seemed to make him uncomfortable, and Tina found she didn’t really mind. “Of course we are,” she said.

“Then I’m – really, a horrid friend.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Tina said.

“It is,” Newt said, “because these past… nearly four months now… I’ve been lying to you.”

“Lying to me about what?” Tina asked. She didn’t really think it was anything serious – or that outrageous. It was impossible to think of Newt in such a position.

“You see,” Newt said, fiddling with the cuff of his trousers, “ever since I first met you… I’ve not wanted to be your friend. Not – not just your friend, at any rate.”

“Newt,” Tina began, “are you trying to tell me that you  _ like _ me?”

“That entirely depends on what you mean by  _ like _ . Of course I  _ like _ you, Tina – how could I not? I like you, and I like Queenie, and of course I like Jacob. But what I’m getting at is more… it’s more akin to adoration than anything else.”

So that was a yes. Tina couldn’t really say she was surprised by the confession. “That doesn’t make you a terrible friend, Newt,” she said. After all, she was pretty sure that he’d still continue to be her friend even if she were somehow  _ not _ interested in him in that way.

“It certainly feels as if it does exactly that,” he said.

“Then,” Tina said, “I’m a terrible friend, too.”

Newt met her gaze, then, for just a second or two. “You – what?”

“Since, I guess… the first time Queenie locked me out to be with Jacob. I’ve done a lot of thinking about it, because my experiences with men haven’t always been the best, but I think – we’re a lot alike, aren’t we, Newt? We share a similar set of core values, and the fact that we’re both bisexual isn’t one that I take very lightly.”

“I should –” Newt began. “I should probably tell you, then, if you’re… if you want to… if you want us to be  _ together…” _

“I do,” Tina said. “What is it?”

Newt ran a hand through his hair. “This isn’t – it’s not as integral to who I am as… as my sexuality, or my love for animals, or my political views, but all the same… it  _ is _ something you should know, and it  _ is _ a part of who I am.” He chewed at his bottom lip. “I’ve not told very many people this, but… in my experience, it helps. If you know.”

“Okay,” Tina said. “I’m listening.”

“You studied psychology for your undergraduate degree, didn’t you? Most social workers do.”

“I did,” Tina agreed.

“Then perhaps you’ve already – got an idea. People who’ve studied psychology usually  _ have _ got an idea. At least with prolonged interaction. But, I, er, I should say it outright. So, er, I’m autistic. And it’s just that – I’d rather say it  _ now _ than have you find out later, and either think… I was lying, or that… you know, if your reaction is… less than ideal, to put that off.”

It made sense, Tina thought. Not that she was an expert in such things, and she didn’t think she’d have assumed as much herself. “I don’t mind,” she said. “And – thank you for trusting me.”

“It’s not as if it’s… debilitating, or anything. It’s mostly – social skills, and I don’t – prolonged direct eye contact makes me uncomfortable, as you might’ve noticed – and at times I can… have a difficult time knowing when I’m talking too much. Like now.”

“I don’t think you’re talking too much,” Tina said. “What about touch? I know, sometimes, when we deal with autistic children, they don’t like to be touched.”

“Touch is fine, as long as I know,” Newt said. “I’m not the biggest fan of  _ hugs, _ though. And if you ever – do anything to push my boundaries, not that I think you would, I’ll let you know. It’s not been much of a problem before, to be honest. The – the main issues have been eye contact and talking too much.”

“Well,” Tina said, “neither of those things bothers me at all.”

“Can I – can I kiss you?” Newt asked.

“Yes,” Tina said. “Absolutely.”

* * *

Tina woke up in Newt’s bed, with Newt’s arm slung across her. Well, that hadn’t been how she’d expected the night to go, but she didn’t really have it in herself to regret it. She checked the time on her phone and cursed. “Shit!”

“Whazzit?” Newt mumbled.

“I’m late for work,” she said. She managed to get out of his grasp without too much effort, and immediately set out looking for her clothes. She found her bra, underwear, and trousers without much effort, but she couldn’t find her shirt. She knew she only lived down the hall, but in the time it would take to get into her apartment (if Queenie had ever unlocked the chain) and find a clean shirt was time she couldn’t afford – not to mention that she didn’t like the idea of going out into the hall in just her bra.

“Just wear one of mine,” Newt said.

She glanced back to the bed. He looked so impossibly adorable in the moment that she stopped what she was doing and went to kiss him. “Are you sure?”

“It’s a shirt, Tina. Of course I’m sure. In the closet.”

So, at Newt’s request, she picked a shirt that looked work-appropriate (ended up deciding on a plain violet one, not that she deliberated long), and put it on. “Thank you!” She kissed him again. “I really have to go to work, but I’ll text you. Lunch, maybe?”

“Lunch sounds wonderful,” Newt said. “Have a nice day at work.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll see you at lunch!”

She grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes in the living room. Her shirt was nowhere to be seen, but she didn’t really look. She locked the bottom lock behind her when she left.

* * *

The good thing, Tina thought, about this happening on a Monday was that no one knew she’d worn the very same trousers the day before. Newt’s shirt did seem to attract some attention. Tina liked to look professional, which meant, if not  _ tailored _ clothes, then at least clothes that were made to fit women. Newt’s shirt was a bit tight in the chest and loose in the waist and shoulders, and that wasn’t to mention the color (much louder than she normally wore).

She managed to find a blazer at her desk that matched her trousers, and she put it on and buttoned it. At least that helped disguise how ill-fitting the shirt was.

“You’re running late this morning,” Sera, Tina’s boss, said.

“Yes, I know; I’m sorry. My sister locked me out, and I had to spend the night at a friend’s, and my phone… died.”

Sera seemed to accept this easily enough. “I’d say your sister owes you an apology. She knows how serious you are about this job.”

“I intend to tell her tonight,” Tina said.

“Why not now?” Sera asked. “She’s in the lobby, talking to Credence.”

Of course she was. “Yes,” Tina said. “I’ll talk to her now.”

She went out to the lobby, where, sure enough, Queenie was chatting up a storm with Credence, who looked only a little uncomfortable. 

“Queen, what are you doing here?”

Queenie brandished a bag that read  _ Kowalski’s Quality Baked Goods. _ “Thought I owed you an apology for locking you out last night. Didja end up at Newt’s?”

Tina gave her sister her very best glare as she took the bag of baked goods. “He’s starting to think there might be some ulterior motive, I think.”

“Good,” Queenie said. “The sooner you two start dating, the better. Jacob agrees, too.”

“I’m going back to work, Queenie.”

“Have a nice day!”

Tina smiled at Credence and went back into the office. Let Queenie stew – even if her actions had directly contributed to Tina actually getting together with Newt. It had been underhanded. She looked in the bag to find assorted pastries and a challah bun.

Her sister knew her tastes, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay! I was travelling during Tu Bish'vat, and had several fest deadlines to hit up to now, so it's all been a bit busy and this fell by the wayside.  
But regular (holiday-appropriate) updates will resume for Purim!


	6. Purim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queenie has a Purim party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chag purim sameach!  
(actually posting on time this holiday lol)

It had been almost exactly a month to the day since she and Newt had gotten together, and Tina was forced to admit that being with him was nicer than she’d even imagined. 

She’d given herself a week before she told Queenie, although she’d conveniently forgotten to mention that it was, in large part, due to Queenie locking her out that it had finally actually happened. Queenie, still, had yet to let her live it down, but her sister’s teasing was easier to take with Newt by her side.

They’d spent Valentine’s Day on Newt’s couch, eating pizza and watching Netflix. Tina had always thought there was something a bit  _ wrong _ with celebrating what was originally a Catholic holiday, as a Jew (though this was an opinion she  _ knew _ Queenie didn’t share), which wasn’t to mention that it largely served as a corporate, capitalist holiday now, and so she thought of it as another Thursday night while her sister locked her out of the apartment.

(If she spent the night, well, no one could blame her. She’d learned from the first time to set her alarm, anyway).

* * *

Queenie insisted on family dinners, and Tina really wasn’t about to begrudge her. Typically, Queenie chose either Friday or Saturday night – Shabbat or Havdalah – and, well, Queenie was an amazing cook.

“I’m having a Purim party,” Queenie said the night after Valentine’s day.

“Shouldn’t I have been consulted on that?” Tina asked.

“Sweetie, I would have if you didn’t practically live over at Newt’s.”

Tina took a sip of her wine rather than reply. Queenie did have a point, but Tina still paid half the rent. “Fine,” she said. “But nothing crazy.”

“Of course not,” Queenie said. “But I’ve already invited everyone at your office. You know that Credence boy, the receptionist, he has a boyfriend! Isn’t that just the cutest?”

Credence certainly deserved to be happy after everything he’d gone through, Tina thought. “I know, Queenie,” Tina said. “I’m glad he’s happy.”

“I wonder what he’s like. But I guess we’ll find out. He’s Jewish, too, y’know. Well – I know you know, but he goes to shul and everything now. He told me he met his boyfriend there.”

“I’m not sure, if I’d gone through what he had, I’d be comfortable in any kind of religious setting.”

“Oh, I know,” Queenie said. “Poor dear. But he really likes you. I mean, I know he’s nineteen, but I really think he views you as a sort of maternal figure.”

“He’s an incredibly sweet boy,” Tina siad. “And I don’t have any objection to inviting him. I just wish you’d asked me first.”

* * *

Queenie’s Purim party was as extravagant as Tina expected. She didn’t know how her sister afforded such things, especially when she had a pretty good idea of how much Queenie made, but she’d learned better than to ask.

After much begging and pleading, Tina relented and agreed to Newt’s couple costume idea: Steve Irwin and a crocodile. It had even been Newt’s idea for  _ Tina _ to be Steve Irwin and  _ Newt _ to be the crocodile. She still felt a bit ridiculous, but Newt had been so thrilled that she knew it was worth it.

She’d known about Queenie and Jacob’s couple costume for weeks, but she still couldn’t fight back an amused smile when she actually saw Jacob with a fake moustache, dressed as Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation, with Queenie by his side dressed, strangely, as bacon and eggs.

“I think our costume’s better,” Newt whispered into Tina’s ear, and she had to agree.

She saw Credence off in a corner with his boyfriend, and led Newt over. Credence and his boyfriend were dressed, if Tina wasn’t wrong, like Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street. Well, that was certainly an iconic costume.

“Hi, Credence,” she said. “Are you enjoying the party?”

Credence nodded. “Everyone is really nice.”

“I’m glad to hear that – I wanted to introduce you to my boyfriend, Newt.”

“Boyfriend?” He looked at the two of them, as if he couldn’t fathom that either of them could possibly be straight (and they weren’t, so it wasn’t like he was far off).

She knew what that look meant (how could she not?), but she didn’t particularly feel like getting into it. She nodded. “Yes. Newt, this is Credence. He works with me.”

“I’m not a social worker,” Credence said. “I work the front desk while I take classes at night.”

“Oh,” Newt said, “that’s quite admirable. What are you taking classes toward?”

“College,” Credence said. 

Newt looked from Credence to Tina, clearly unsure whether or not Credence was mocking him.

“Credence is very private,” Tina said. She definitely didn’t want to get into everything he’d gone through; it wasn’t her business to share that, but she thought this much might be enough to reassure Newt that no one was mocking him.

He smiled at her, so she thought he got the message.

They made small talk with Credence and his boyfriend (mostly his boyfriend), and then got roped into a discussion with Sera and with Queenie’s friend (and ex) Vinda.

* * *

“Okay I think it’s time to read the Megillah!” Queenie announced when the party was in full swing. “Teen, I think you should be Esther! After all, it  _ is _ your middle name!”

Tina rolled her eyes. “I’m always Esther. Why not let someone else be Esther this year?”

“I’ll draw names if I have to,” Queenie said, passing out printed-out Megillot to all of the guests. “Printed them at work,” she said with a wink.

“Did you write it at work, too?” Tina asked.

“Maybe,” Queenie said. “Credence helped! He’s real funny, you know!”

Credence ducked his head as if this would prevent people from looking at him. Tina rolled her eyes again. 

“Well,” Queenie said. “I’ll be Haman! Jacob, sweetie, why don’t  _ you _ play Esther?”

Jacob laughed and shrugged. “Sure. Might as well.”

“Then Tina can pass out the noisemakers.”

“I want to be Mordechai,” Credence said in a rush.

Queenie positively beamed. “Of course, sweetie!”

Tina got the noisemakers from the kitchen table and passed them out to everyone at the party. To those unfamiliar with Purim, she said, “Make as much noise as possible any time anyone says Haman.”

Newt looked at her with raised eyebrows, and she grinned. “Purim is one of my favorite holidays, I think,” she said.

“Oh, it’s great,” Queenie said. “You drink and cook and eat cookies and tell the story of how a fascist failed to kill us.”

“That’s most Jewish holidays,” Tina said, “to be fair.”

“‘They tried to kill us, they failed, let’s eat’,” Queenie said. “But Purim has costumes and hamantaschen. It’s a lot more fun than Passover or Chanukah. Not that I don’t love Passover and Chanukah. But Jacob makes the  _ best _ hamantaschen.”

“It’s my Bubbe’s recipe,” Jacob said. “Family secret.”

Queenie kissed him. “We’ll see about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next update will be for pesach!


	7. Pesach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina meets Newt's family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay! quarantine is really messing with my brain.

“My mother and brother want to visit for Easter,” Newt said. It was about three weeks before Passover, and while their relationship was fairly new… Tina wasn’t about to be hidden away. (Not that she thought Newt would do such a thing, of course. But still.)

“Have you told them you’re dating a Jewish woman?” Tina asked.

“Of course I have,” Newt said. “I’ve never been particularly religious, anyway. But Mum and Theo are insisting on visiting for Easter. They claim that it’s been too long since I’ve seen them.” From his tone, it was clear he didn’t quite agree.

Tina’s knowledge of Easter came mostly from dating goyim. “I’m going to assume that there will be no ham dinner?”

Newt shook his head. “Unless my mum wants to cook for herself. Which she may, actually. She’s, er, not… very happy with my career choice, to be honest, nor my vegetarianism.”

“Why not?” Tina couldn’t imagine why anyone would be disappointed in Newt for, well, pretty much anything, but she knew she was biased.

“It’s not – something one should make a career out of, apparently. She’s always been a bit disappointed that I didn’t want to go into politics or law or business or something else  _ respectable. _ ” He spat the word out, and Tina couldn’t blame him; she couldn’t fathom Newt in any of those fields. He’d be miserable.

“How old is Theo, anyway?” Tina asked. She’d really only heard Newt mention his brother a handful of times now, and from what he’d said, it really wasn’t enough to have any idea on what kind of person he was.

“He’s – eight years older than I am, so – thirty-seven now. And he’s – engaged. To – well, I suppose I should tell you about Leta.”

Tina turned to Newt, then, giving him her full attention. “What about Leta?”

“Well, she’s – Theo’s fiancée. And she’s lovely. Absolutely lovely. We were –  _ very _ close friends, in school. Neither of us quite fit in, so we made – a sort of an odd pair ourselves. We did – most everything together.”

“Newt,” Tina began. There was something in his tone… and perhaps she could relate. “Were you and her…?”

“I was in love with her,” Newt admitted.  _ “Was. _ Past tense. It’s definitely – I don’t feel that way for her anymore. And it’s not as if she ever reciprocated. All of that’s in the past. And it’s not as if – we never did anything. She likely – I’m certain she saw me as her slightly odd friend. Truthfully, I’m not convinced she’s ever fully understood that I’m  _ interested _ in women. She knows what bisexuality is, of course; she’s bisexual herself, but – well, she was the only girl I had eyes for, in school, and I wasn’t about to tell  _ her _ that, so she might’ve thought that I was – half in the closet. Which I wasn’t, and I’m not, of course, as you know.”

“Oh, I know that  _ very _ well,” Tina said. “Don’t worry about that.”

“I’ve never – told her. How I felt, I mean. Nothing ever  _ happened _ between us, and Theo doesn’t know, either. And they’re very happy together, and I’m very happy  _ for them. _ But I rather thought that – you should know.”

“Well,” Tina said, “thank you for telling me. I’m sure if the two of you were so close, then we’ll get along just fine.”

“You are absolutely wonderful, you know that?” Newt said. “I hardly think I deserve you.”

Tina scoffed. “You say that as if you aren’t the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.” She reached up to kiss him softly on the lips.

* * *

Tina was recruited to help Queenie clean the apartment top to bottom before Pesach. She wasn’t about to complain; it helped to keep her mind off the reality of meeting Newt’s family in just a few short days. 

Newt’s family, who were coming all the way from England to see him – and meet her. She adored Newt, and knew that the feeling was mutual, but… cleaning the apartment with Queenie and making sure that every last crumb of chametz was gone helped to distract her from a million  _ what ifs. _

Newt came over for the first night Seder, which was a small affair (just the four of them: Tina, Newt, Queenie, and Jacob, whose family held their Seder on the second night). Tina led the Seder, Queenie had cooked the meal, and Jacob had made dessert which, in addition to being chametz-free, was also  _ not _ matzo-based, for which Tina was grateful. 

Tina was sure to explain everything to Newt as she went along, and Queenie and Jacob helped. It was easy to ignore that in just four nights, she’d be having dinner with Newt’s mother, brother, and brother’s fiancée.

To his credit, Newt didn’t once say anything about how long the Seder was, or how hungry he was, even though she knew he hadn’t eaten since lunch.

He even waited until she started eating to eat once dinner had actually been served.

“Tina, do you keep kosher for Passover?” Newt asked.

“I try,” she said, which was the truth. She didn’t always check the ingredients, and once or twice, when she’d had to work late and hadn’t eaten much, she’d been known to break into the communal stash of snacks at the office – most of which were  _ not  _ kosher for Passover.

“The only time matzo’s good for anything is in soup,” Queenie said.

“I like to think of it as a challenge, you know?” Jacob said. “You can do a lot with it – every Pesach I try to bake something totally new.”

“How’s that work out for you?” Tina asked.

Jacob shrugged. “Not so bad, usually, though one year, let me tell you…”

* * *

Tina really wasn’t the type to fuss over outfits. Typically, as long as she looked presentable, she didn’t care very much what she was wearing.

Queenie, however, was and did.

And now Queenie was holding her hostage.

“Teenie, honey, you  _ can’t _ meet Newt’s parents wearing  _ that.” _

Tina looked down at her outfit. “What’s wrong with this?”

Queenie pulled a face. “You look like you’re going to work.”

Tina rolled her eyes. “Then what would you suggest?”

Queenie grinned. “I was hoping you’d ask.”

Tina expected it to take a while, but five minutes later, she was wearing one of Queenie’s dresses with her hair half pinned up, walking out the door.

She had barely knocked before Newt let her in. “Tina!” He kissed her. “You look lovely.”

“Thanks. Queenie made me borrow her dress.”

“That certainly sounds like Queenie, but you look lovely regardless.”

She kissed him. “Is your family on their way?”

“Yes; Theo texted me that he’d ordered the cab just a few minutes ago. I’m quite stressed out, to be honest.”

“How far away are they? I can think of something that might help you relax…”

* * *

By the time Newt’s family buzzed into the flat, everything was perfectly in order and Newt was much more relaxed.

The moment the buzzer rang, though, she could see him tense. She wanted to reassure him, but she was nervous enough as it was. “I’ll make sure none of the cats escape,” she said instead.

He smiled gratefully at her and thanked her. She knew it was the least of his worries, really, but this much, she could do.

Theo was, somehow, exactly what she’d expected: tall, handsome, well-dressed, sure of himself. Leta, though, surprised her.

It wasn’t that Leta was black; Tina had seen pictures of her before. It was more in the way that she carried herself that surprised her. She supposed she’d expected her to be like Newt, or, failing that, like Theo.

Theo immediately went in to give Newt a hug. Before Tina could fully process what was happening, Theo said, “And you must be Tina!” and hugged her, too.

This, she had not expected one bit.

“It’s  _ wonderful _ to finally meet you,” Theo said. “Newt’s told us so much about you.”

“Has he?” Tina asked.

“Of course! Leta and I have been looking forward to meeting you for some time.”

She barely had time to process this before Newt’s mother made herself known.

“So you’re the American Jewish girl my son’s so in love with we couldn’t have ham for Easter?”

“Newt’s a vegetarian, so he wouldn’t have prepared ham either way,” Tina said.

“Which is what Leta and I’ve been trying to tell you for a week, Mum,” Theo said.

* * *

Newt was visibly relieved after his family left. Tina asked him if he wanted some time to himself, and he shook his head. “I’d really rather just spend time with you. I hope my family wasn’t too exhausting for you, too.”

Tina shrugged. “Your mother was a lot to handle, but I liked Theo and Leta.”

Newt pulled a face. “Theo’s a hugger. I should have warned you.”

“I don’t mind. It surprised me, but I don’t mind.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“I feel the same way about you,” Tina said.

He’d just kissed her when there was a knock on the door. Newt sighed and got up to answer it.

It was Queenie. “Just checking in to see if Tina survived Easter.”

Tina huffed. “Of course I survived Easter.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure. And seeing as you two basically live together, I figured you wouldn’t come home tonight.”

Tina rolled her eyes. Her sister could be so annoying.

Newt seemed unsure of what to do, so he offered Queenie leftovers.

“And you say dating a Jewish girl hasn’t worn off on you at all,” Queenie said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said that,” Newt said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter, Lag B'Omer, should be up as scheduled!

**Author's Note:**

> visit me on [tumblr](http://xslytherclawx.tumblr.com) and please feel free to join my [Harry Potter discord server](https://discord.gg/yb6bS3c)!


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